From the Blog

Hurricane Irma didn’t silence us

Support St. Pete’s Black Power 96 the ONLY local African community radio station that stayed on the air in the eye of the storm LIVE through Hurricane Irma!

As Hurricane Irma approached St. Petersburg, threatening devastation as a Category 3 storm, WBPU 96.3 FM stayed on the air, providing regular live updates on the storm track, the status of available shelter and safety instructions.

When the county provided no phone number to call to find out which shelters were open, Black Power 96’s members were inside of the shelters providing up-to-the-minute information on closing times and shelter availability.

When St. Petersburg instituted a 5pm curfew, it was Black Power 96 that alerted our listeners and explained this police action as a protection for white property and not black lives.

Making our tower stronger and taller!

Days before the storm, Black Power 96’s African contractor added brackets to protect our broadcast tower, at a cost of $600. We have just been approved by the FAA to raise our tower to 70′ in order to reach a wider audience. We need $5,000 to raise the height of the tower.

Black Power 96.3 FM Radio is a project of the African People's Education and Defense Fund, a non-profit organization (tax ID number 59-3252727) established in the United States under the US IRS Code Section 501(c)(3), and, for that reason, donations from persons or entities located in the United States may benefit from tax deductible status.